Facts About the Night Sky
- The sky above us is an amazing thing to observe.
- Some celestial objects, such as the Sun, stars, and the Moon, are often seen in the sky.
- But the sky does not look the same every day. It looks different in different places.
- Different constellations appear in different seasons.
- This concept is about some interesting facts related to the night sky.
Facts About Stars
Question 1:
Why Does the Sun Rise in the Day and Disappear at Night?
Answer:
- The Sun is steady in the sky.
- As the Earth spins on its axis, only one-half receives sunlight at a time.
- During this time, the other half of the Earth receives no sunlight; hence it's nighttime in the other half.
- This phenomenon keeps repeating every 24 hours, leading to day and night.
- When a part is facing towards the Sun, it is morning time there.
Question 2:
What Is a Solar Eclipse? What Happens to the Sun During a Solar Eclipse?
Answer:
- An eclipse is a celestial phenomenon.
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the light from the Sun while moving around the Earth. The Moon comes in between the Sun and the Earth.
- Due to this, Sun is not visible for a particular period of time.
Question 3:
Why Are Polar Regions Called the lands of the Midnight Sun?
Answer:
- In most places on Earth, the Sun is visible during the daytime only.
- But the polar regions are the only places on Earth where the Sun is visible throughout the day during summers.
- That means there is no sunset or sunrise.
Question 4:
What Makes the Sun So Hot and Bright?
Answer:
- The nuclear fusion reactions that constantly occur on the Sun make it hot and bright.
- This phenomenon converts hydrogen into helium and leads to the production of an enormous amount of energy,
Question 5:
Is the Sun Yellow in Colour? Explain.
Answer:
- The sunlight, when it travels through the layers of gases in the atmosphere, gets scattered.
- Only the yellow light reaches Earth and is visible to us, which makes the Sun appear yellow.
- Instead, the Sun is white, which can be seen from space.
Question 6:
Why Knowing the Constellations Was Important During Old Times?
Answer:
- In the olden days, tracking stars' locations in the night sky was used to identify the directions.
- This is now replaced by using a compass.
The Moon
Question 1:
The Moon Provides Us with Light in the Dark. So, Why Is the Moon Not Considered a Star?
Answer:
- Moon is a prominent celestial object in the sky.
- It indeed illuminates everything at night with its bright, soothing light.
- But the light coming from the Moon is not it's own.
- The Moon shines by reflecting the light from the Sun. Hence, not considered a star.
Question 2:
How Was the Moon Formed?
Answer:
- Researchers think that the Moon was once a part of the Earth.
- When a huge celestial object collided with Earth, it formed debris that started revolving around Earth under the effect of its gravity.
- This revolving debris aggregated slowly to form the Moon.
Question 3:
What Is a 'Blood Moon'? Why Does It Happen?
Answer:
- Similar to a solar eclipse, there is a lunar eclipse .
- During a total lunar eclipse, Earth falls between the Sun and the Moon and completely blocks the sunlight falling on the Moon.
- But due to Earth's atmosphere, some sun rays fall on the Moon, giving the Moon a blood-red colour.
- Therefore, the Moon during a total lunar eclipse is called a 'Blood moon'.
The Sky
Question 1:
Why Does the Sky Look Completely Red in the Evening?
Answer:
- This happens due to the scattering of sunlight.
- Due to dust particles and gases present in the atmosphere, the blue colour of white light scatters in different directions, and the red colour is prominently visible from a far distance.
- This makes the sky appear red.
Question 2:
What Are the Shooting Stars? Do Stars Fall?
Answer:
- The shooting stars are not really 'the stars'.
- They are the comets which enter the Earth's atmosphere with a fiery speed.
- Due to this speed, the air around them glows while they pass.
- The tail seen behind is the burned dust particles.
